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pumping at work, lack of bm

I'm a new mom with a dd 3 mons. I've been back to work for 1 mon now and i pump approx. every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours(when I can). I do bf my dd before I go to leave for work. Why when the first pump i get about 4oz and 3oz then for the 2nd and 3rd pumps I only get 1 to 2oz? (I double pump. Only have 1/2hr break) Any ideas? Also, i only bf at home!! no bottles.

Re: pumping at work, lack of bm

I too find that I have less milk as the day wears on. For one thing if you work standard hours (morning to afternoon) most people find that they have the most milk in the morning. I however find that even working evenings I have less milk each time I pump. However, as time has gone one and my LO has gotten older I find that I have more milk and that I respond better to the pump. Try and see if you can get multiple let downs, I practiced at home some (I pump in the morning and at night even on my days off) the idea is when milk stops flowing you go back to the fast suck/low suction again until you get another letdown. I also find that I do better when I read a parenting/laleche magazine while I pump. Hang in there!

Re: pumping at work, lack of bm

thanks Margaret for the response. I'll try with the fast/slow sucking and see if the helps. I was aslo wanting to try the mothers milk or the other thing that I've seen here on the forum. I'm new to all of this and it has been very educational to me. I never took any classes before I had my dd, I just knew that I was going to bf. But I thought that it would have just happened!! Now I know that it doesn't work that way

Re: pumping at work, lack of bm

I recall getting more milk earlier in the day too. When I was really concerned about supply, I'd sometimes pump 1-2 hours after my dd went to sleep and/or pump on one side while nursing on the other. I think the key is to nurse as often as she wants, even at night to keep up your supply. Pumping just isn't the same as BF. Any chance you could go at lunch break to nurse her?

Re: pumping at work, lack of bm

No, I live too far from work. I wish that I could go home, but I would probuly want to stay there with her!! I went and bought the fenugreek day before yesterday and took the first pill this morning and have already noticed a diff.
maybe this will help considerably at work. Will try and see what happens. I'm just very afraid that the supply will go away and i really want to ebf as long as i can.
Thanks all for your input.
Missie mommy of Haley

Re: pumping at work, lack of bm

i've just run into the same issue. i've been back to work for almost 2 weeks now and for the first several days, i was able to pump 3 - 4oz bottles. now i can only get 2 - 4oz bottle (first pump of the day is 4oz, the 2nd and 3rd pumps, i have to combine to make 4oz). i went to get more fenugreek today and hoping it'll work for me again (dd is now 12 weeks old and i took fenugreek for a couple weeks when she was only 4 weeks old). i hope by next week i'll be back to pumping 3 - 4oz bottles!